Thief
by OliverRiley
Summary: As Lenalee clears up Lavi's confusion between dandelions and cottonwood seeds, he lets her know what he'd really wish for. But, do actions really speak better than words? LavixLenalee oneshot. Rated T to be cautious.


Summer Snow

Thief

By: Minerva-sama

Lenalee watched the last drops of rain as they fell from the white clouds to the water-soaked earth. She raised a slim hand and traced the glass of her window with her fingers, and drew swirls and curlieques in an imaginary fog.

All in all, it was a rather quiet summer day, save for the morning thunderstorm that had woken up a number of people, Lenalee included. She watched as a few birds came out of their hiding spots in the hollows of trees, and began to peck at the ground.

As she enjoyed this spectacle, a faint knock sounded from her door. The Chinese Exorcist turned around and slowly walked over to the tall wood frame. Slowly, she opened the door, and tilted her head around to see the man on the other side.

It was Lavi. She grinned and opened the door all the way, so he could come in. He just stood in the doorway, though, with a grin Lenalee couldn't quite place, spread across his lips.

"Ah, Lavi. Did you need something?" She smiled at the junior bookman.

"Oh, nah. I was just wondering, Lenalee…" He began somewhat awkwardly. "Did you wanna go for a walk? It's not raining anymore, so…" He trailed off as he stated the obvious with a gesture.

"…Sure! Let me get my shoes on, and I'll meet you downstairs, okay?" She asked, and Lavi nodded and closed the door and began his descent downstairs.

Time seemed to drag as Lavi waited with impatience. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced about sheepishly. Soon enough, he saw Lenalee, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips as he opened the front door for her. She smiled and walked outside, with the junior bookman close behind.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes, before Lenalee broke the silence with her cheery voice. "So…why did you want to go on a walk, Lavi?" She asked, a bit puzzled by his strange request.

"I…wanted to talk to you…." He said with a slight hesitancy that made the Chinese Exorcist raise an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"…Just…stuff." He said simply, and with a grin, as they walked on.

The road the two walked was lined with trees of a number of different species, the most noticeable being cottonwood. The small, white puffs of seeds floated through the air on a light breeze, and lined the sides of the roads in tufts.

Lenalee raised a hand and caught one in her palm with a smile. As she opened her hand, Lavi leaned over her shoulder and looked at her with a quirky expression.

"It's like summer snow…" She laughed lightly, and Lavi smiled contentedly. He watched as she released the seed to the breeze.

"What'd you wish for?" He asked, and Lenalee turned her head to give him a quizzical expression.

"You don't wish on cottonwood seeds, Lavi. That's dandelions." She laughed.

"Oh. Oops. Well, dandelions or not, I know what I'd wish for." Lavi laughed sheepishly, but he didn't mind his slip-up. As long as he could hear her laugh, it didn't matter. Her voice was like a bell in his ears, a wake-up call from the mundane, everyday life of a bookman-in-training.

Slowly, the red-headed Exorcist reached for her hand. With even more hesitancy, he laced his fingers through hers. Lenalee's face flushed crimson, and she stammered slightly in response as she did her best to maintain her composure.

"O-oh? And what would that be?" She asked, with the vague suspicion that she might regret it later.

Lavi smirked and gave Lenalee's hand a gentle squeeze. He put his free hand on her slim shoulder, and watched as her eyes cycled through a seemingly endless circle of emotions.

It was an endless circle, indeed. Lenalee's thoughts were racing through her head faster than she could keep up with them. And it didn't help that Lavi was slowly closing the distance between them. Her face grew hotter, and she took a small step backwards, only to have her back bump against the bark of a tall cottonwood that overshadowed the road.

Lavi was no more than three inches from her now, and Lenalee wondered if her face could be any redder than it already was. She could tell, though, by his amused expression, that it had to be bad.

"W-well?" She stammered, and kept her indigo eyes fixated on his uncovered emerald eye.

Lavi chuckled lightly as an initial response. _"If I'm gonna do this, I'd better do it now…"_ He thought to himself.

He was little more than an inch away from Lenalee when he gave his response. His voice was a quiet, gentle whisper, like the breeze that carried the cottonwood seeds to various heights and distances Lenalee would never know.

"This." Lavi stated simply. With a cautiousness that was more than a bit unlike him, he pressed his lips to Lenalee's. He could feel her tense, and he feared, for a moment, that she would push him away, and even worse, that he might've just ruined the friendship they had shared.

Indeed, she struggled slightly. With resentment, Lavi let go of her hand, and returned his other hand to his side. He took a step back, to give the flustered Exorcist her space.

"S-sorry…" He mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

"Y-you should be, Lavi!" Lenalee responded as her indigo eyes darted about to anything but the read-haired boy before her.

He said nothing, and felt even worse. Had he just royally screwed up—did he stand no chance for redemption? He sure thought so. He brushed some of his vibrant red hair away from his left eye casually. With a slight agitation in his tone, he turned on his heel.

"…Guess I'll see you later then, Lenalee." He said quietly and began to walk off the way they had come. He didn't expect her to follow, or to even call out to him. He felt beyond stupid. He quickened his pace, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Perhaps that was the reason he was so surprised when he heard the sound of boots clicking behind him, and turned to find a heavily-breathing Lenalee a few yards down the road.

"Lavi!!" She yelled after him.

Lavi paused and turned his head over his shoulder to glance back at her. Had she not finished berating him? He wondered why she continued to follow him, even though he made no response, at least, not until she was close enough to speak at a normal volume to.

"…What?" He asked, with a notable wariness.

"Why did you just up and leave like that?!" She asked as she stared at him intently, which made the junior bookman only the _slightest_ bit nervous.

"…You...I thought you…wanted me to?" He asked, and raised an eyebrow as Lenalee shook her head.

"Then…why did you…try to pull away?" He asked as he turned all the way to face her.

"You surprised me! Who wouldn't be surprised by something like that?!" Lenalee's face had taken on a red shade once more, and Lavi's worried expression slowly gave way to a smile.

"So then you…wanted me to do that?" He asked in a quirky tone, and restrained a chuckle. Lenalee's silence was answer enough—his question, and her own statements, had incriminated her.

"Well…I guess I'll try again." He laughed a bit and put his hands on Lenalee's shoulders slowly.

Once more, Lavi closed the distance and, with the vague fear that she'd pull away again, pressed his lips to hers. To his slight surprise and relief, she didn't move away. Instead, she moved closer, and put a slim hand to his cheek to let him know all was okay.

He smiled slightly, and slowly broke the kiss. "Y'know, Komui's gonna kill me for takin' your first…and second, kiss." He laughed, almost afraid, now, of what Komui might do to him.

"You only took the first one. I gave you the second." Lenalee smiled. "And who says my brother has to know? He'll probably find out anyway, though, because you're a terrible liar…" She mused absently as Lavi's jaw dropped.

"You're harsh!" He remarked, and faked an angsty expression.

Lenalee shrugged and gave a playful smirk. "But it's true, isn't it?" She asked.

"…I don't think I'll answer that." Lavi remarked with a slight pout, and a half-grin. There was a slight silence where the two just stood there, and looked about awkwardly. Lavi waited until Lenalee's gaze was elsewhere and quickly kissed her again, more deeply this time.

As she had done before, she struggled slightly. She didn't like being surprised like this. She gently knocked Lavi on the chest with her fist, only to find his hand placed over hers. She could feel his heart beating fast in his ribs, as the rhythm pulsed through her palm, arm, and into her own heart.

Soon enough, he broke away, and he chuckled lightly at the reaction he received from Lenalee, whose eyes were narrowed playfully, though with a slight trace of agitation.

"You're a thief, Lavi." She remarked with a slight pout as he rested his forehead against hers. She couldn't maintain her expression for long, though, as her lips curved to a smile. She put her hand back around his neck and giggled at his response.

"Heh… guilty as charged."


End file.
